Modern Healthcare articles from January 2008

Modern Healthcare archives from January 2008

Hunting for prospects; Despite credit crunch, SPACs still seek investments.(Strictly Finance)(special purpose acquisition company)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Cinda Becker Attention all healthcare entrepreneurs: There are at least eight shell companies on the public market in desperate search of a worthy healthcare company to buy. Investors are always looking for creative and...

New lawsuit, same complaint; Rival accuses Aultman of making payments to broker.(The Week in Healthcare)(Aultman Health Foundation )
January 7, 2008... Byline: Gregg Blesch An old attack is back, sort of, for a one-hospital system in Canton, Ohio, that a few years ago faced a lawsuit alleging it paid bounties to brokers who delivered group clients to its subsidiaries' managed-care plans....

The year of the bull (or bear)? Experts predict that in 2008, the healthcare industry's major issues will largely be determined by the nation's economy.(Special Report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Cinda Becker Prevailing wisdom is that no one will have the political appetite in 2008 to make a significant dent in the healthcare industry's perennially full plate of issues. Of course, with a critical election on the...

Still worried about money; Fiscal woes lead ACHE survey of execs' concerns.(The Week in Healthcare)(American College of Healthcare Executives)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Melanie Evans Financial challenges, such as rising labor costs and bad debt, again ranked as the top concern for hospital chief executive officers, according to a yearly survey by the American College of Healthcare Executives. ...

Other voices.(money received from tobacco industry was not spend on tobacco prevention)(Editorial)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... "Connecticut has received almost $1 billion as a result of a 1998 settlement with the tobacco industry, and spent most of that money on projects that had nothing to do with preventing smokingostensibly the purpose of the windfall. In fact,...

It's our job; Industry leaders need to lead a sea change in care.(From the C-Suite)(Viewpoint essay)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Michael Dowling Every four years, when it's time to choose a new chief executive for our nation, healthcare consistently ranks near the top of voters' concerns. Despite the merits or demerits of the various plans being proposed by...

Devices: Under a price squeeze.(Special Report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Shawn Rhea Hospitals and physicians will continue to feel challenged this year by a growing list of regulatory and safety troubles within the medical-device sector. Chief among those challenges is product-safety concerns affecting...

Construction: Patient, employee friendly.(Special Report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Andis Robeznieks In 2008, healthcare construction trends toward the use of natural light and natural or energy-saving materials will continue to pick up steam, experts say, along with efforts to upgrade staff amenities as...

Insurers: Rust never sleeps.(Special Report)(health insurance)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Vesely With healthcare premiums expected to continue to outpace workers' earnings and inflation, payers won't be content to wait for the next president to solve the healthcare crisis. Expect "affordability'' and "value'' to...

Legal: Make friends with the feds.(Special Report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Gregg Blesch Healthcare lawyers say their clients should set aside more time to spend with their friends in the government. Last year, hospitals saw a mixed victory for the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust enforcers, with...

Specialty hospitals: more battles.(Special Report)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jessica Zigmond Physician-owned hospital advocates plan to address the issue of quality in 2008 as the segment braces itself for another year of political pressure from its opponents on Capitol Hill. As 2008 begins, the...

Manor Care deal leads to big paydays; Wilensky gets almost $800,000; CEO Ormond receives more than $77 million.(The Week in Healthcare)(leveraged buyout by Carlyle Group L.P.)(Gail Wilensky )
January 7, 2008... Byline: Cinda Becker With the closing of the heavily contested $6.3 billion leveraged buyout by the Carlyle Group of long-term-care provider Manor Care, notable healthcare economist Gail Wilensky walked away with $790,110 in consideration...

Construction survey open.(The Week in Healthcare)
January 7, 2008... Modern Healthcare's 29th annual Construction & Design Survey is now available. To participate, please download a copy at modernhealthcare.com/surveys. Responses are due Feb. 4 by 5 p.m. CST. Selected results of the survey will be published in...

Most drug freebies go to well-off: study; Research suggests race, gender a factor, too, but drug group calls research flawed.(The Week in Healthcare)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Shawn Rhea A new study showing low-income, uninsured patients receive few of the $16 billion worth of free drug samples given away yearly by pharmaceutical companies may do little to change the way healthcare providers distribute...

Looking for more changes; Lobbyists, docs find good, bad in new Medicare bill.(The Week in Healthcare)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Hospital industry lobbyists this year are seeking to tie up the loose ends that the Medicare bill signed by the president in late 2007 left dangling. There are several moratoriums hospitals want to see extended...

Report finds problems with HealthMarkets companies.(Late News)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Insurance regulators from 35 states and the District of Columbia say they have found numerous deficiencies at HealthMarkets companies, which include MEGA Life and Health Insurance Co., Mid-West National Life Insurance Co. of Tennessee and the...

Calif. ruling orders up hitch for employer mandate; Citing ERISA, court sides with S.F. restaurant association on mandatory insurance.(The Week in Healthcare)(Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Vesely A new court ruling has cast into further doubt the notion that municipalities and states can require employers to pay for healthcare for their workers, and could foil efforts, such as in California, to extend...

Four out the door; N.Y., Ohio, Ore.,Wash. bolt UAN over SEIU concerns.(The Week in Healthcare)(United American Nurses)(Service Employees International Union)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Vince Galloro and Andis Robeznieks The United American Nurses has put some distance between itself and the Service Employees International Union, but not enough, it seems, for four state associations that have left the UAN. ...

On the move...(News Makers)
January 7, 2008... ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTERS Raymond Watts, a physician, was selected to become interim CEO of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System after David Hoidal resigns, which was expected to happen late last week, the system announced....

Sisters' Colo. bid clears hurdle; Meanwhile, SSM to split St. Louis into two regions.(The Week in Healthcare)(Sisters of Charity )(SSM Health Care)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Gregg Blesch Two Catholic health systems start 2008 moving forward with plans to shuffle their assets. Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, Lenexa, Kan., cleared a potential hurdle in a disputed bid to become the sole...

We'd like to hear from you; New column gives senior-level executives a forum for sharing ideas with peers.(Opinions Editorials)(Editorial)
January 7, 2008... Byline: David Burda Readers of Modern Healthcare know that our primary audience is senior-level executives working in all sectors of the healthcare industry. Each week, we decide what we think they need to know to fulfill our three-pronged...

Outliers; Asides & insides.(blog postings against Essent Healthcare Inc.)(MedAssets CEO John Bardis named leader of the U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling team)(Meriter Hospital commercial claiming to have the best newborn intensive-care unit )
January 7, 2008... Blogger wins right to keep on criticizing Essent-anonymously A blogger who has targeted Essent Healthcare and one of its hospitals for ridicule can remain anonymous, a Texas appeals court judge has ruled, unless the Nashville-based company...

CMS hires HIPAA watchdog; PricewaterhouseCoopers' dual roles may vex providers.(The Week in Healthcare)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 )
January 7, 2008... Byline: Joseph Conn The CMS has hired New York-based consulting and auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to perform compliance reviews at healthcare organizations, looking to see how well they meet their obligations to protect healthcare...

PATIENT SAFETY: FOCUSING ON `NEVER'.(Special Report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jean DerGurahian Patient-safety issues will pick up steam this year, building on several efforts begun by states and hospitals alike. Last year, hospitals in Massachusetts and Minnesota announced they would no longer bill...

Docs get six-month reprieve ... ... but experts dubious lasting Medicare fix in offing.(Physician Affairs)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Hopes are dim among lobbyists for physicians that Congress will enact a permanent fix to the physician Medicare fee schedule in 2008, despite a still-looming cut that faces the industry in July. At the end of...

HHS won't target La. imaging center for kickback concerns.(Late News)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... A physician proposing to open an imaging center with his brother in an area of Louisiana ravaged by Hurricane Katrina won't be targeted by HHS' inspector general's office, even though the plan under ordinary circumstances might run afoul of...

Federal monitor gives OK to New Jersey university.(Late News)(University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... The federal monitor overseeing the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey has given a clean bill of health to the "much-changed institution,'' saying the monitorship will not be extended. Also, the U.S. attorney in Newark, N.J.,...

HHS urged to keep Michigan infection-control program open.(Late News)(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
January 7, 2008... Proponents of healthcare quality initiatives are calling on HHS to reverse its decision to shutter an infection-control program under way in intensive-care units at hospitals across Michigan. The program involves a five-step infection-control...

Prospect's SEC report on hold; System says delay caused by recent Alta purchase.(The Week in Healthcare)(Prospect Medical Holdings)(Alta Healthcare System)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Vesely Prospect Medical Holdings, which manages medical care of 240,000 HMO enrollees, delayed filing its annual financial report with the Securities and Exchange Commission because of financial restatements of its recent...

SCHEDULING CHALLENGES; With overhauled Form 990, hospitals are being asked for more specifics on governance, pay, perks, subsidized care.
January 7, 2008... Byline: Melanie Evans Policymakers and watchdogs who have long relied on guesswork to monitor healthcare's not-for-profit hospitals won't be left to speculate much longer. New federal rules, effective in 2008 and 2009, require detailed...

LETTERS.(Opinions Letters)
January 7, 2008... Infections' deadly costs Your cover story on the implications of hospitals being paid twice for medical errors underscores the need for further research to determine the financial impact of cutting reimbursement for nosocomial infections...

Joint Commission task force created to address staff issues.(Late News)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... The Joint Commission created a task force to address implementation issues and controversies connected to its revised Standard MS.1.20, which was approved this past June and is intended to "support and reinforce a productive working...

Finance: Kiss the market goodbye.(Special Report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Cinda Becker Through no fault of its own, the hospital industry may experience a credit squeeze in the next year, ending an era of narrow credit spreads that produced an exceptionally accessible capital market for even the...

For-profits: A holding pattern.(Special Report)( for-profit hospital companies)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Vince Galloro The year 2008 will probably resemble a holding pattern for most of the for-profit hospital companies, hospital stock analysts say. The election will forestall changes in Medicare reimbursements and a solution to...

Not-for-profits: The accountability reformation.(Special Report)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Melanie Evans Tax-exempt hospitals learned less than two weeks before the new year when and how federal regulators will change rules for publicly reporting community benefits. Ongoing scrutiny of the sector's operations and...

IT: No time for a revolution.(Special Report)(Brief article)
January 7, 2008... Byline: Joseph Conn For all the talk in recent years about "transformational change being driven by healthcare information technology, the coming IT revolution in healthcare won't arrive in 2008, according to Stephen Lieber, head of the...

ACHE recognizes four; While Harborview wins McGaw prize.(The Week in Healthcare)(American College of Healthcare Executives)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Melanie Evans ***** Correction: A Jan. 14 photo caption (p. 20) incorrectly identified the association that co-sponsors the Foster G. McGaw prize. The American Hospital Association, along with Baxter International Foundation...

Dodging LTAC moratorium; Medicare bill exempts projects already under way.(The Week in Healthcare)
January 14, 2008... Byline: Jessica Zigmond ***** Correction: In a Jan. 14 story on long-term acute-care hospitals (p. 8), a quote attributed to Ed Cooper, president and chief executive officer of Acuityhealthcare, included an incorrect dollar figure. It...

Dual duties; Not-for-profit execs land on board.(Legacy Hospital Partners )
January 21, 2008... Byline: Melanie Evans The board of newly formed Legacy Hospital Partners includes some well-connected current and former not-for-profit healthcare insiders. Among Legacy's directors: the chief executive officers of Sentara Healthcare...

More gain-sharing guidance; Inspector general's opinions point to more safe zones.(The Week in Healthcare)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Gregg Blesch Two new advisory opinions that HHS' inspector general's office published last week add to an increasingly clear road map of the right and wrong ways that hospitals and physicians can share cost savings without getting...

Device inventor returns.(The Week in Healthcare)(Swedish Covenant Hospital appointed James McCormick )(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Gregg Blesch Swedish Covenant Hospital, Chicago, rehired a former president and chief executive officer to fill a new role as chief science officer. James McCormick will direct research into the ways the healing process is affected...

On the move ...(News Makers)(LifeCare Holdings appointed Wayne McAlister)(WellPoint Inc. appointed Brian Sassi)(John Sideras stepped down from MetroHealth System )
January 21, 2008... HOSPITALS, SYSTEMS John Sideras, 51, stepped down as president and CEO of MetroHealth System in Cleveland. His departure stems from the board's annual review of the system's leadership model, according to a MetroHealth news release. In...

Briefly.(Late News)(AMBAC Financial Group Inc's rating)(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' changes to its national patient-safety goals)(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... Fitch drops Ambac's rating to AA from AAA Fitch Ratings downgraded bond insurer Ambac Financial Group by two notches to AA from AAA. The ratings remain on rating watch negative and follow Ambac's decision to suspend efforts to raise $1...

Sharing the load; Let individuals, government, employers split costs: poll.(The Week in Healthcare)(Survey)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Jennifer Lubell A new public opinion survey bolsters the case for putting the cost of healthcare on individuals, government and employers. The survey, The Public's Views on Health Care Reform in the 2008 Presidential Election,...

After Triad, a chain is born; Former Triad leaders form Legacy Hospital Partners, aiming to make joint ventures with not-for-profits looking for capital.
January 21, 2008... Byline: Vince Galloro Denny Shelton is getting the band back together. Shelton, the former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Triad Hospitals, is the nonexecutive chairman of a new hospital company, Legacy Hospital...

Execs' convictions overturned.(Late News)(John Celona's case against Roger Williams Medical Center's Robert Urciuoli and Frances Driscoll)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Gregg Blesch A federal appeals court overturned the convictions of two former Rhode Island hospital executives accused of giving a state senator a job in exchange for pursuing the hospital's interests. The 1st U.S. Circuit...

Outliers; Asides & insides.(Lincoln Hospital has violated Medicare's rule)(report on circumcision)(rules for medical journals)
January 21, 2008... Hospital's bit of holiday cheer turns into a big legal turkey When HHS' inspector general's office asked the Lincoln (Neb.) Surgical Hospital for its staffing schedule for November 2006, the seven-bed physician-owned hospital complied....

LETTERS.(Opinions Letters)
January 21, 2008... Hospitals are focused on safety Your recent cover story ("Profitable complications,'' Dec. 17, 2007, p. 6) and editorial ("The start of something big,'' Dec. 24/31, 2007) leave an impression that the men and women who are front-line...

Einstein CEO joins board; Appointment ties exec to two GPOs.(The Week in Healthcare)(Barry Freedman's appointment at Managed Health Care Associates)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Shawn Rhea Barry Freedman, president and chief executive officer of Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, Philadelphia, was named to the board of for-profit group purchasing organization Managed Health Care Associates, a company that...

Corrections & clarifications.
January 21, 2008... A Jan. 14 photo caption (p. 20) incorrectly identified the association that co-sponsors the Foster G. McGaw prize. The American Hospital Association, along with Baxter International Foundation and Cardinal Health Foundation, sponsor the award.

Taking a hard look; Insurers increase scrutiny of imaging providers.(Payers and Purchasers)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Shawn Rhea Earlier this month, the embattled bill to extend funding of Medicare and other federally sponsored health insurance programs finally became law. Stripped from the bill's final version, however, was a provision that would...

HSAs: a risky strategy; Changes needed to avoid avalanche of medical debt.(From the C-Suite)(health savings accounts )
January 21, 2008... Byline: Trevor Fetter In the midst of the housing boom, policymakers and consumers viewed subprime mortgages as innovations that would help more families achieve the American dream of home ownership. Unfortunately, when the boom became a...

HHS' New Year's resolutions; Leavitt's priorities: Fix SGR, increase health IT.(The Week in Healthcare)(Department of Health and Human Services)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Jennifer Lubell Healthcare providers are skeptical that the Bush administration and Congress will be able to drum up a viable funding source to pay for a fix to Medicare's physician formula, one of HHS' goals for the year. In...

Prices spike in 2007; Hikes accelerate at hospitals; doc prices resume climb.(The Week in Healthcare)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Cinda Becker A surge in hospital service prices in the last quarter of 2007 could be worrisome, especially with an overall economic recession now on everyone's mind. Price inflation in 2007 for hospitals and physicians,...

As U.S. toots its own corn ... ... living a healthy lifestyle winds up taking a supersized back seat.(Opinions Editorials)(Editorial)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Neil Mclaughlin As we move deeper into an election year, the talk about healthcare reform no doubt will intensify. One thing you can also be sure of is that Americans will be castigated for their unhealthy habits. Now no...

Other voices.(Opinions Editorials)
January 21, 2008... "Two new studies presented the most comprehensive evidence yet that the lack of health insurance is seriously harmful to a patient's health.... Researchers at Harvard Medical School... found that uninsured near-elderly people got sicker at a...

Democratic lawmakers create task force; Trio of former healthcare professionals ready to push IT, disease-management bills.(The Week in Healthcare)(Lois Capps, Allyson Schwartz and Jason Altmire)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Matthew DoBias Three former healthcare professionals turned Democratic lawmakers are forming a congressional task force with the intent of pushing through previously stuck legislation. Their agenda is heavy with information...

The joint appeal; Froedtert, Columbia St. Mary's in Milwaukee choose joint operating agreement.(The Week in Healthcare)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Melanie Evans and Jessica Zigmond Last week's announcement about two Milwaukee health systems creating an organization together spotlights joint operating agreements, which experts have described as complicated deals that typically...

Exec. search survey open.(The Week in Healthcare)
January 21, 2008... Modern Healthcare's third annual survey of healthcare executive search firms is now open for participation. For a copy of this online-only survey, please contact Special Projects/Research Editor Rebecca Mielcarski at rmielcarski@crain.com or...

Bush plan a Medicaid boon?(Late News)(Brief article)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Matthew Dobias An economic stimulus package being framed by White House advisers and congressional leaders could include a provision to temporarily increase Medicaid payments to states as a way to cover a potential boost in...

M&A TREND: NO BIG DEAL; Tight credit could make it tougher to finance large for-profit acquisitions like those that made headlines the past two years.(Special Report)(Report)
January 21, 2008... Byline: Melanie Evans and Vince Galloro In 2007, for the second straight year, a huge corporate hospital deal dominated merger and acquisition activity. In 2008, analysts expect for-profit chains to take a back seat to not-for-profits,...

Healthcare's best places to work.(The Week in Healthcare)
January 28, 2008... Modern Healthcare has created a new awards and honors program called "Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare.'' The new program, which kicks off today, recognizes workplaces in healthcare that enable employees to perform at...

POWER STRUGGLE; Energy consumption, while not a top-tier concern for hospitals, has gained attention as execs look at economics of conservation.(Construction Digest)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Like SUV owners who find it increasingly painful to fill up their tanks, healthcare executives are starting to take a harder look at their organizations' energy consumption. Historically, energy conservation...

Tough choices ahead; Candidates ignore pain of needed cuts to health costs.(Healthcare Opinion Leaders Survey)(Survey)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Dallas Salisbury The consensus of employers, government officials, academics, health consumers, presidents and presidential candidates over the past 70 years has been that the U.S. healthcare "nonsystem'' is broken and needs to be...

Patients are a virtue; Customer service focus will improve the bottom line.(Charles S. Lauer)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Charles S. Lauer Not enough people in this industry seem to care enough about the patient experience in their institutions. Spending on the simple things that can make being in the hospital just a little bit friendlier and less...

Leapfrog's new leader; Binder stepping in as group adjusts.
January 28, 2008... Byline: Jean DerGurahian The Leapfrog Group's new chief executive officer takes over just as the Institute of Medicine is issuing a call for greater clinical effectiveness, and as Leapfrog also makes changes to ensure its own...

Ohio readies charity standards; Effort comes in wake of new Form 990 from IRS.(The Week in Healthcare)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Gregg Blesch Ohio's attorney general is the latest state official to dig into the ways not-for-profit hospitals earn and spend their money, just as the Internal Revenue Service phases in its supercharged Form 990 that mines much of...

Tapping into alternative energy; Wis. system's plan includes partnership with brewery.(Construction Digest)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Calling it a "strategic partnership with Mother Nature,'' the Gundersen Lutheran Health System based in La Crosse, Wis., is planning to go where no hospital has gone before: a new energy-efficient, acute-care...

Outliers; Asices & insides.
January 28, 2008... Can surgeons improve skills by playing a game? Study says: Wii Now kids have yet another argument for playing video games: Hey mom, don't you want me to grow up to be a great surgeon? Medical educators at Banner Good Samaritan Medical...

Reform is no `either-or'; We must fix the payment system along with access.(Healthcare Opinion Leaders Survey)(Survey)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Darrell Kirch In this year's election-charged political climate, the need to provide healthcare coverage for all Americans is the central focus of the reform debate. While universal coverage is certainly an essential goal, there...

Let the sunshine in.(Opinions Editorials)(Editorial)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Todd Medical errors should be the start of a process, not something to bury The picture being painted by healthcare's interest groups is of an industry building a new culture of patient safety, brick by brick. The brushwork is...

Sky-high savings; `Green' rooftops another way to cut costs.(Construction Digest)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Andis Robeznieks Hospital landscapes now frequently offer "healing gardens'' designed to offer therapeutic benefits to both staff and patients, but a new twist is to place the gardens on top of facilities and, in so doing, help a...

CMS proposes LTAC relief: 2.6%; While welcomed, execs say certification still an issue.(The Week in Healthcare)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Jessica Zigmond A proposed CMS rule could offer some reimbursement relief to long-term acute-care hospital providers, but the segment still sees patient-certification criteria as a serious policy problem left unsolved. Last...

Trio named to hall of fame; Gavin, Groner, Mountz honored for achievements.(The Week in Healthcare)(Pat Groner, Wade Mountz and Ignatia Gavin)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Gregg Blesch Three healthcare innovators have been chosen by a panel of industry judges as the newest members of the Health Care Hall of Fame. This year's inductees are two founders of VHA, Pat Groner and Wade Mountz, and the...

`Short on solutions'; N.J. report mostly offers analysis of what's wrong.(The Week in Healthcare)(Report)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Cinda Becker New Jersey hospitals' unique financial problems are a lot bigger than New Jersey, according to a yearlong study released last week that amounted to a scathing indictment of the nation's schizophrenic healthcare system....

Dale Ross leaving as CEO of US Oncology and its parent.(Late News)(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... Dale Ross, 60, will step down from his post as chief executive officer of Houston-based US Oncology and its parent, US Oncology Holdings, but will remain with the company while focusing on long-term strategy and retaining his title as executive...

Mass. Blues floats flat-fee plan; But some in the industry fear a return of capitation.(The Week in Healthcare)(Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts Inc.)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Vesely In an attempt to rein in year-over-year cost increases, Massachusetts' largest insurer is proposing to change the way it reimburses hospitals and physicians for patient care. The question is whether providers-who...

Three top WellCare executives exit in wake of fed, state probe.(Late News)(WellCare Health Plans )(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... The three top executives at WellCare Health Plans resigned effective immediately, the company announced. Todd Farha, chairman of the board, chief executive officer and president; Paul Behrens, chief financial officer; and Thaddeus Bereday,...

PRIVATE-PUBLIC MIX IS A MATCH; Survey reveals that many healthcare experts side with the Democrats' approach to reform, but costs remain an issue.(Healthcare Opinion Leaders Survey)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Barbara Kirchheimer Healthcare leaders appear to align themselves more with leading Democratic presidential contenders than with Republican candidates when it comes to achieving universal coverage, but they say both the Democratic...

STICKING TO THE RECIPE; Develop one program with basic guidelines for improving care, effectiveness without overwhelming providers, the IOM says.
January 28, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Vesely The Institute of Medicine's report calling for a national initiative to determine best medical practices is garnering praise from some sectors but also raising questions about whether such a program could operate...

'Opportunity of a lifetime'; C-suite jobs came early for Iowa exec Stark.(Special Feature: ACHE Awards)(David Stark chief executive officer of health care industry)(Occupation overview)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth Gardner When David Stark started his first job in top management-interim chief executive officer of a rural hospital in Iowa-he thought he could hear some silent snickering, even though everyone was the soul of courtesy....

Administrator and mentor; Howard's stints include 21 years at Intermountain.(Special Feature: ACHE Awards)(Occupation overview)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth Gardner Mark Howard has worked in just about every kind of hospital there is: military hospitals in Vietnam and Thailand, a teaching hospital in California, a succession of not-for-profit hospitals during a 21-year career...

Leader and educator; Sorensen's roles include professor, consultant.(Special Feature: ACHE Awards)(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth Gardner It's rare that the American College of Healthcare Executives awards two gold medals in one year, and if the second is awarded it goes to someone who has made major contributions to healthcare administration...

Long record of service.(Special Feature: ACHE Awards)(ACHE Lifetime Achievement Award)(Brief article)
January 28, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth Gardner Francis Cronin Jr., a former American College of Healthcare Executives chairman, will receive the ACHE Lifetime Achievement Award, given to executives who have made substantial contributions to the organization...